Napolean Hill and Sobriety

Napolean Hill and Sobriety

I've been reading Napoleon Hill books lately. He was a speech writer for U.S. President Harry Truman in the last Depression. He wrote some famous motivational books and is considered one of the founders of Positive Psychology. This type of thinking has many detractors but "foul water will quench fire", in other words, I look to efficacy as my metric. *

He has a 3 step process to achieve your goals:

1. Write a clear description of your one major desire, i.e., Sobriety

2. Write a precise statement of what you intend to give for your sobriety, i.e., strict adherence to the 12 steps of A.A.

3. Memorize both statements and begin repeating them to yourself hourly.

Whatever your mind feeds upon, your mind attracts to you. You need definiteness of purpose and a clear picture of what you want from life. Sobriety is number one because without it, all else fails.

This may look like brainwashing yourself and that's probably what you are doing to undo all the negative messages you have given yourself over the years.

He has a prayer of thankfulness you say a few times a day:

"Divine Providence, I ask not for more riches but for more wisdom with which to accept and use wisely the riches I was given at birth in the form of the ability to direct my mind to ends of my own choice."

The riches you can enjoy if you take possession of your own mind and direct it to ends of your own choice include:

Sound health

Peace of mind

A labor of love of your choosing

Freedom from fear and worry

A positive mental attitude

Material riches of your choice in the quantity you desire.

On the other hand, the penalties if you do not take possession of your mind are:

Ill health

Fear and worry

Indecision and doubt

Frustration and discouragement Poverty and want

And a litany of evils like envy greed jealousy, anger, hatred and superstition.

Quotes to live by:

The great philosopher Thomas Carlyle once wrote, "Let each become all that he was created capable of being." I can't think of a better definition of success. Life challenges us every day to develop our capabilities to the fullest.


Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.
-Jawaharal Nehru

Don't be afraid of the space between your
dreams and reality. If you can dream it,
you can make it so.

"If one advances confidently in the direction of
his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he
has imagined, he will meet with a success
unexpected in common hours."
- H.D. Thoreau